1. All You Need To Know About Planning Your Funeral With The Good
Funeral Guide Is Included In The Following Pages
We couldn’t find a funeral plan that delivers everything it ought to...
...so we created one
The 100% consumer-focused Good Funeral Guide Prepaid Funeral Plan offers greater
flexibility, transparency and value for money than any other current comparable prepaid
funeral plan – by far.
Charles Cowling, Co-Founder and Director,
The Good Funeral Guide

2. Welcome
The Good Funeral Guide is a staunchly independent information
resource enabling all people who need to arrange a funeral, whatever
their beliefs and values, to make informed choices and find the best
suppliers of services and merchandise.
Our mission is to be useful.
The Good Funeral Guide is a not-for-profit social enterprise company.
We’re a Community Interest Company (No 7818343).
You can find the Good Funeral Guide here – www.goodfuneralguide.co.uk.
What is a prepaid funeral plan?
A prepaid funeral plan is a way of ring-fencing money to pay for your funeral.
Your money is paid into a trust fund where it is invested and grows so that your investment keeps pace with the
rising cost of funerals. This is a tax efficient way of saving. You personally have no tax to pay on the value of your
plan at the time of need. It is protected in important ways. It cannot be raided to pay for your care home fees and it
does not count towards probate. Because the trust is not a savings vehicle, money paid into it cannot be taken into
account by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) when calculating eligibility for certain benefits.
Any money you pay into a prepaid trust fund can only be used to pay for funeral expenses.
Why did we create our own prepaid funeral plan?
We created the Good Funeral Guide Prepaid Funeral Plan for two reasons. First, we saw that there was an urgent
need for a product that focusses 100% on the needs and interests of you, the consumer. Second, we observed with
growing dismay a market that has become feverishly competitive, complicated and cut throat, with high costs and
charges that are not always clear - and reduce the value of your funeral plan.
In response, we are offering you a prepaid funeral plan which we believe to be as simple, sober and honest as a
prepaid plan can be, one which also offers the best return available on your investment.
Because our prepaid funeral plan is designed with the exclusive purpose of serving your welfare, all but one of its
features is unique. There is nothing else like it on the market.
We explain what we consider the be the drawbacks of other prepaid funeral plans later in this brochure.
A word about words
In this brochure, the term ’personal representative’ refers to your executor, if you have made a will, or your closest
living relative, if you have not. These are the people who, in law, have the right to take custody of your body when
you have died and take responsibility for your funeral arrangements.
The Good Funeral Guide Prepaid Funeral Plan
 denotes a unique feature of the Good Funeral Guide Prepaid Funeral Plan.
1. A GFGPlan fund can cover the funeral costs of up to five people – family members or friends - at any one
time.*
2. It’s flexible, so that you do have a plan for more than one person. Each member can determine the value of
their contribution if they wish to. *

3. 3. A GFGPlan fund is not designed to cover the costs of a package funeral designed by us. Instead, you design
the funeral that’s right for you, or leave the arrangements to your personal representative. Your fund is
therefore simply a pot of money which may be used as either i) a contribution to funeral expenses; or ii)
enough to cover from one to five funerals. *
4. According to the terms of the trust, each plan holder must record, at the least, their basic funeral wishes on
their application form in the clear understanding that these will be useful and informative but not legally
binding at the time of need. *
5. The maximum allowable input per named plan holder is £20,000. *
6. All money paid into your fund will grow at the rate of 4 per cent1
per year. *
7. A fund may be started with any sum of money, plus a single one-off fee of £195.00. This pays for the
administration of the fund for its lifetime and contributes a single payment of £25 towards the work of the
Good Funeral Guide CIC. No deductions whatsoever are made from the money you pay into the trust in the
form of salaries, commissions, incentives or rewards. Nothing. *
8. A fund may be added to, either in staged payments or as-and-when you want to. This is intended to favour
people with budgetary constraints or uneven income flows. Start your fund anytime and add to it when you
can. Your money starts growing at 4% per year1
as soon as it is invested.1
*
9. Additional plan holders may be named when the number of plan-holders falls below five. Each new named
plan-holder will incur an administration fee of £95.00. *
10. Fund-holders may log in to check their account and see if it needs topping up. *
11. On the death of a plan-holder
i. Their personal representative notifies Open
Prepaid Funerals Limited who confirms the sum of
money available. *
ii. The personal representative of the deceased
person agrees a budget for the funeral with the
other named plan holders. If a split of the plan fund
was defined at the outset, Open Prepaid Funerals
Limited will calculate the relevant value.*
iii. The personal representative selects and
appoints a professional funeral director or appoints
him/herself to be the funeral director and notifies
Open Prepaid Funerals Limited who can then
confirm to the funeral director what funds are available. *
12. Money trusted may, according to the terms of the trust, be used to cover only funeral expenses and will only
be paid out on production of receipts after the funeral has taken place. The trust doesn’t give change, but…
13. …a personal representative may make a reasonable claim for their own input to funeral arrangements,
whether as funeral director (e.g. in the case of a family-directed or DIY funeral) or in addition to the cost of
instructing a professional funeral director. *
14. Money unspent must remain in the trust for the use of other plan-holders. Where there is only one plan-
holder, unspent money will be returned to the estate excluding any growth applied which by law remains in
the Open Trust Fund. *
15. The role of the Good Funeral Guide Prepaid Funeral Plan will at all times be one of facilitator, never
intermediary. *

4. How much money should you deposit?
It’s up to you to make sure there will be enough money in your account. But what’s enough?
Here are some guide prices. The cost of a mid-range funeral provided by a funeral director in 2015 is around
£3,600.00. A much simpler funeral costs around £2,500. Direct cremation costs £1000-£1300. Burial is normally, but
not always, more expensive than cremation, and figures vary in different parts of the country, so it is very hard to
give a guide price.
It may be very difficult for you, emotionally, to sit down
and plan exactly how you want your funeral to be and
then get quotes from funeral directors. If you don’t feel
like doing all that just now, or if you wish to let your
personal representative or your family make
arrangements when the time comes, all you have to do
now is give us some very basic information on your
application form and either pay a lump sum into your
fund, using the figures above for guidance, or save
towards that sum in your own time.
If you want to plan your own funeral, we suggest that you make sure that your personal representative or family
are aware and onside. When you have mapped out what you’d like -- the Good Funeral Guide website will help you
every step of the way -- ask your local funeral directors to quote. This will give you an exact figure. It will also
enable you to get to know your local funeral directors – no bad thing – and state a preference. If you would prefer
to research funeral directors’ prices online then we suggest that you use www.yourfuneralchoice.com.
You may need to top up your fund from time to time. You can check your plan account online any time you want to
see how much it has grown. You can then decide if you want to add more money or just leave it to carry on
growing. You can also make changes to your recorded funeral wishes. If ever you are unsure of what to do just get
in touch and we will happily help you. We are only a phone call away.
Hard work? Compared with any other commercial transaction? No, not really. This is funeral planning for the self-
reliant. And remember: the Good Funeral Guide Plan makes your money go further than anyone else.
Is the Good Funeral Guide Prepaid Plan the one for you?
The Good Funeral Guide Prepaid Funeral Plan does not try to be all things to all people. It stands for what we
consider to be two important principles:
1. Empowerment of your personal representative to take full advantage of commercial competition in the
purchase of goods and services at the time of need—to get the best value for your money as they see best,
free from the interference of any intermediary.
2. Openness and transparency about what we do with your money. No payments to any third party without
the permission of the fundholder/s.
We are very clear about our goals and we recognise that our prepaid plan will not suit everybody. As the proverb
has it, “a friend to everybody is a friend to nobody”. If, to you, our plan looks too complex and insufficiently
detailed, then you may prefer the convenience of a more formal, standard prepaid plan and a straightforward
funeral package. If this is how you feel, we recommend that you consider buying an Open Prepaid Funeral Plan. It

5. will protect your interests as a consumer and grow your money more efficiently than any other competitor plan.
What’s more, it will deduct nothing from the money you pay in hidden commissions.
A Word About Our partner
The Good Funeral Guide has neither the resources nor the know-how to create a financial product free of all the
drawbacks of other funeral plans – drawbacks which we regard as anti-consumer and which, ironically, most
funeral directors regard also as anti-funeral director.
Over the years we have invited owners of prepaid funeral plan trusts to design an ethical, consumer-focussed plan
according to our own specifications – in vain. Just when we had all but given up hope we were approached by Open
Prepaid Funerals Ltd. To our delight they were able to provide us with exactly what we wanted. As a result we are
proud to be able to offer a prepaid funeral plan that puts your interests first.
We like Open because the way they work is calm and conservative –
the highest recommendation for any business that has a financial
responsibility to others. Although we like to maintain an arm’s length
relationship with the funeral industry, the fact that two of Open’s
trustees are experienced members of the industry pleases us greatly.
They are all acutely risk-averse and anxiously protective of their
reputations. They represent a healthy force for caution and
prudence.
You can learn more about Open by visiting www.openprepaidfunerals.co.uk or calling their team on 0330 660 0072.
How could existing prepaid funeral plans be better?
Short answer: by giving priority to the needs of consumers. Here are seven things we don’t like about them:
1. Most prepaid funeral plans are designed by funeral directors for funeral directors. The funeral plan is a
commercial weapon in an increasingly ugly turf war which enables funeral directors to capture tomorrow’s
market share today. One of the biggest funeral planning companies even describes its business as “owned
and run entirely for the benefit of independent funeral directors”.
2. The personal representative or family of the person who has
died is too often deprived of the ability to shop around for a
funeral director. Many funeral plan companies acts as
brokers and subcontract the job of carrying out the funeral
arrangements to one of their approved funeral directors. In
addition that funeral director may then be put in the position
of having to provide the funeral for several hundred pounds
less than the face value of the funeral plan. So: everyone loses
– except the funeral plan company. We believe that a funeral
director should be chosen on merit by the customer at the
point of need. Above all, we believe that face-to-face
accountability between buyer and seller provides the only reliable consumer protection.
3. The formulaic package funerals offered by many funeral plan companies are limited in range. In an age of
creative, highly personal funerals, an off-the-peg funeral is not for everybody.
4. Not all prepaid funeral plans presently on the market are transferable. If, for example, a family member
dies unexpectedly before the plan-holder, he or she may not be able to donate their plan to pay for their
relative’s funeral. (Some will allow a plan transfer before or after death.)

6. 5. Funeral plan companies typically promise that your funeral will be carried out according to your wishes. What
they don’t tell you is that your funeral wishes will not be legally binding on those who will be responsible
for making your funeral arrangements. You have no guarantee that your instructions will be carried out.
So, whilst it is a good thing to think about how you’d like your funeral to be, and though most personal
representatives or families will want to honour your wishes, we believe that you also need to negotiate your
funeral details with your personal representative or close family and secure their willing collaboration before
you die.
6. Far too much of the money you hand over for safekeeping, many hundreds of pounds, is spent on
commissions, incentives, rewards and salaries to salespeople, funeral directors and others in ways that are
not made apparent. We believe that a good funeral plan provider has a right to a decent living, but we also
think that you have the right to know exactly where your money goes.
7. Our opinion, widely shared, is that the level of deductions made by some funeral planning companies is
unsustainably high and poses the substantial risk that they will not, at some time in the future, be able to
meet their obligations. This has become an alarmingly overheated market.
The Good Funeral Guide Prepaid Funeral Plan addresses every single one of the issues outlined above.
So you want to put aside money for your funeral?
To make financial provision for your funeral is a responsible thing to do – a duty.
Funeral costs more or less double every ten years, so it makes sense to invest your money in a
financial product that can keep pace.
There are a range of products that enable you to do this and you should check them out. In
recent years the prepaid funeral plan especially has grown in popularity. The market has
become feverishly competitive, complicated and cut-throat; posing, we think, a growing risk to
consumers.
In response, we are offering you a prepaid funeral plan which we believe to be as simple, sober
and honest as a prepaid plan can be.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my money safe?
Absolutely. Your payment is made into the Open Prepaid Funerals Trust Fund where it is
managed by a board of trustees. The trust fund is a separate entity and independent from
the Good Funeral Guide and Open Prepaid Funerals Limited.
Do I have to pay a large amount up front?
No, the Good Funeral Guide Prepaid Funeral Plan is designed so that you can start small and
add funds along the way if that suits you better. There is a fixed administration fee of
£195.00 at the start of the plan. Anything over that becomes part of the value of your plan
and starts growing almost immediately.
What’s to stop my personal representative disobeying my instructions?
In a word, nothing. The law is clear: funeral instructions are unenforceable (the legal term is void). This is because,
bluntly, you have no legal right to direct what is done with your body. If you are sure that your personal
representative feels that they have a moral duty to carry out your instructions, then you must trust them to do so. If
you can’t be sure, the best you can do is incentivise your personal representative by drawing up a will including a
clause making any bequest to your personal representative conditional on their carrying out your funeral
instructions. The Good Funeral Guide Prepaid Plan, like any other prepaid funeral plan, does not have the power to
offer you any protection which the law cannot give you. That’s why we think it so important that you negotiate your
instructions with the person or people who will be responsible for carrying them out.

7. But surely my Will can dictate how my funeral must be?
Sorry, no, a Will is for distributing your property, not for dictating how your body will be taken care of.
Do I have to choose a funeral director now?
No, you don’t have to. You can leave this to your personal representative/family. They can choose the best funeral
director on merit when the time comes.
But I can choose a funeral director if I want to?
By all means choose now so that your relatives know who you want at the time of need. But don’t forget that your
favoured funeral director could retire, sell up, move away or even die before you do. It is an important principle of
the Good Funeral Guide Prepaid Funeral Plan that your personal representative is empowered to deal direct with a
funeral director, and this means having the right to choose the right funeral director for them when the time
comes.
What if I want a more formally structured funeral plan?
The easiest thing to do, if this is the case, is to choose one of the Open Prepaid Funerals standard plans. We’re
happy to recommend them as one of the very few plan providers in the UK that we trust. Get in touch with them
directly to discuss your needs. Their number is 0330 660 0072 or visit their website
www.openprepaidfunerals.co.uk
1
How much will my money grow by?
From 1st January 2015 the Open Trust Fund is applying growth at a rate of 4% per annum, which is a very good rate
indeed. This figure can go up and down depending on market changes but because it is invested in a cautious
manner and with as small an amount of costs charged to the trust fund as is reasonable the average annual growth
since 2003 has been 3.8%.
What happens if I die while on holiday or away from home?
The funeral director carrying out your funeral will arrange collection from anywhere in the UK, although a fee may
apply. If you die abroad then repatriation costs will be incurred. Please check that your normal travel insurance
policy covers this.
How can I pay for my funeral plan?
There are a number of ways. You can pay securely online through the website, you can pay by cheque or bank
transfer or you can pay by instalments, regular or ad hoc. The vast majority of people who take out a plan pay by
cheque. Some pay by bank transfer. A small percentage pay by Direct Debit (ideal if you want to make regular
payments that suit you) and even less by card. It’s up to you though, just get in touch if you want to discuss
anything.
Will there be any difficulty placing my plan with a funeral director?
Because the Good Funeral Guide Plan is a prepaid funeral plan, but not in the
traditional sense, then yes, absolutely, simply because the Open Trust Fund will pay
the funeral costs that have been agreed once the funeral has taken place. Your
relatives will know what’s available to spend and will make the arrangements to
suit the budget.
Is the company independently owned?
The Good Funeral Guide is an independent Community Interest Company and Open Prepaid Funerals Limited is a
privately owned UK based company and has been successfully operating since 2003. Both are separate from the
Open Trust Fund.
If I have a financial emergency can I ‘borrow’ money from the fund?
You can, but only what has been paid in by you. We can’t pay you the matured sum because the law does not allow
the trust to be used as an interest-bearing savings account. The Open Trust Fund can only pay out the matured sum
for funeral expenses which have already been incurred. Equally, if you choose to cancel the plan (in the case of
multiple plan holders all must unanimously agree to cancel in writing) then you will be refunded what you have
paid in, less the administration fee.

8. What if we have five nominated plan holders and one dies, can we add another?
Yes you can. Again this is one of the great things about the Good Funeral Guide Prepaid Funeral Plan. You can keep
a maximum of five named plan holders within your ‘plan fund’ so it can keep being added to for the purposes of
paying, in part or in full, for your family funerals. Each time you add a new plan holder (after initial plan creation)
there will be an additional fee of £95.00 per named addition to cover the administration required.
If you have any other questions simply get in touch and we’ll answer them for you.
The Open Trust Fund
The Open Trust Fund is invested to achieve capital growth over the
medium to long term (5 years +) in a diverse portfolio of assets
including, but not limited to, equities, fixed interest, property and cash
with a global geographical spread. The assets are held in collective funds
(OEIC's) managed by some of the world's largest asset management
companies chosen by the trustees after a rigorous selection process,
assisted by independent financial advisers. The performance of the Trust
Fund is monitored continually and measured against standard industry
benchmarks to ensure above average returns with appropriate controls
on risk and volatility.
The assets of the Trust Fund are independently audited and a triennial actuarial report is prepared by independent
actuaries in line with the Financial Conduct Authority's guidelines. The assets are held in a segregated account on
behalf of the trustees, separate from the assets of Open Prepaid Funerals Limited.
Elements to Consider
We’ve tried to make everything as easy and self explanatory as
possible. You can complete as much or as little of the application as
you want to and we’ll help you fill in the gaps.
Some things that you will need to consider are suggested here;
1. Do you want to arrange your plan through our website?
That’s absolutely fine if you do want to do that, we’ve built it
so its easy to use. However if you’re happier dealing by post
or would like to speak to one of our team directly that’s fine
as well, we’re here to help you.
2. What’s your preferred method of payment? We’re happy for you to pay using the method you’re most
comfortable with. You can pay securely online through our website, you can pay over the phone, you can pay
by cheque or by bank transfer and if you wish to you can even pay by instalments. Please don’t hesitate to
contact a member of the team to discuss the payment options.
3. Do you have all the details to hand to complete your plan application? If you have that’s great but don’t
worry if you haven’t. You can start with the basics and add additional detail, instructions and even additional
elements to your plan in the future, it’s totally flexible.
4. Do you have all the plan holders in mind at the outset? You don’t have to start with five! The minimum
number of plan holders to start with is just one. The whole idea of the Good Funeral Guide Prepaid Funeral
Plan is flexibility, it’s designed to fit your needs as much as possible.

9. What To Do Next?
1. If you’re happy with all the information you have received and wish to go ahead with your Good Funeral
Guide Prepaid Funeral Plan, then simply complete the application form filling in all or as many of the details as
you can. Send it to us with a cheque made payable to Open Prepaid Funerals Trust for the initial amount you
want to deposit, plus the administration fee of £195.00. Once we have received your paperwork we’ll get in
touch to discuss any additional details with you and to confirm next steps.
2. If you’d like to go ahead but would prefer to pay by card, bank transfer or instalments, please complete and
send the application form as above and we’ll then get in touch with you to arrange payment for your plan.
3. Still have questions? Just get in touch using any of the details following. We’re here to help and want to make
sure you’re completely comfortable with everything before you proceed. Our experienced team can answer
any questions you have to ensure your peace of mind.
4. Still can’t decide what to do? Then there must be something we still haven’t answered for you. Get in touch
and we’ll see if we can help.
5. Remember, the Good Funeral Guide Prepaid Funeral Plan is 100% dedicated to serving your best interests and
no one else's. It’s the most flexible prepaid funeral planning option available today.
Unique Good Funeral Guide Prepaid Funeral Plan Helpline—0121 562 0321
Open Prepaid Funerals Contact Details and Registered Office
Open Prepaid Funerals Limited Telephone 0330 660 0072
67 Warwick Road Fax 0330 660 0073
Solihull Registered In England Number 04747037
West Midlands
B92 7HP
Email enquiries@goodfuneralguideprepaidfuneralplan.co.uk
Website www.goodfuneralguideprepaidfuneralplan.co.uk
Website www.openprepaidfunerals.co.uk
Proud Partners

10. Please use this area to make any notes you may want to keep.

11. Other personal preferences such as hymns, readings, songs, music, clothing, preferred funeral director, flowers, donations etc.*
Plan no. OPH /GFG
Good Funeral Guide Prepaid
Funeral Plan Application Form
Plan Holders
Plan Preferences —
Please Tick Your Most
Appropriate Preference
at the Time of Need
Title First Name (s) Surname
Address
Post Code Telephone
Email Address
Date of Birth Mobile
#
1
Cremation Burial
Hearse Alternative
Vehicle
Religious
Ceremony
Alternative
Ceremony
Traditional
Coffin
Alternative
Coffin
Funeral Tea Alternative
Event
Next of Kin Plan Holder #
or Executor
Official Use Only
Other personal preferences such as hymns, readings, songs, music, clothing,
preferred funeral director, flowers, donations etc.*
* Please note that while these preferences are your own they cannot be legally enforced in any way at the time of need.
Title First Name (s) Surname
Address
Post Code Telephone
Email Address
Date of Birth Mobile
Cremation Burial
Hearse Alternative
Vehicle
Religious
Ceremony
Alternative
Ceremony
Traditional
Coffin
Alternative
Coffin
Funeral Tea Alternative
Event
Next of Kin Plan Holder #
or Executor
Other personal preferences such as hymns, readings, songs, music, clothing, preferred funeral director, flowers, donations etc.*
Title First Name (s) Surname
Address
Post Code Telephone
Email Address
Date of Birth Mobile
Cremation Burial
Hearse Alternative
Vehicle
Religious
Ceremony
Alternative
Ceremony
Traditional
Coffin
Alternative
Coffin
Funeral Tea Alternative
Event
Next of Kin Plan Holder #
or Executor
#
3
#
2
Plan Holder #1 Next of Kin Contact Details:

12. Head Office Use Only:
The Good Funeral Guide Prepaid Funeral Plan is managed and administered by Open Prepaid Funerals Limited, 67 Warwick Road,
Solihull, West Midlands B92 7HP. Tel: 0330 660 0072 Fax: 0330 660 0073
Email: enquiries@openprepaidfunerals.co.uk www.openprepaidfunerals.co.uk
Other personal preferences such as hymns, readings, songs, music, clothing, preferred funeral director, flowers, donations etc.*
Title First Name (s) Surname
Address
Post Code Telephone
Email Address
Date of Birth Mobile
Cremation Burial
Hearse Alternative
Vehicle
Religious
Ceremony
Alternative
Ceremony
Traditional
Coffin
Alternative
Coffin
Funeral Tea Alternative
Event
Next of Kin Plan Holder #
or Executor
Other personal preferences such as hymns, readings, songs, music, clothing, preferred funeral director, flowers, donations etc.*
Title First Name (s) Surname
Address
Post Code Telephone
Email Address
Date of Birth Mobile
Cremation Burial
Hearse Alternative
Vehicle
Religious
Ceremony
Alternative
Ceremony
Traditional
Coffin
Alternative
Coffin
Funeral Tea Alternative
Event
Next of Kin Plan Holder #
or Executor
Payment Details—Initial Contribution To Funeral Plan Fund On Behalf Of Primary Plan Holders as Listed
Initial Amount Deposited including £195.00 Administration Fee
Method of Payment Cheque Online Card Other
Contact Us if you would like to talk to someone about monthly or other payment. All Cheques should be made payable to
OPEN PREPAID FUNERALS TRUST
£
#
5
#
4
Signed By Plan Holder #1/Next of Kin/Executor: _____________________________________
Name: ______________________________________
Date: _______________________________________